Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Kane glanced at the burly figure on the field and tutted. "Strength-wise, he’s decent."

"You see potential in him too, huh? If he wins and stays in the royal city, life should get much better for him." Thinking of the foolish things this guy had been tricked into doing by his family in the past, Ning Chan could only say that all his luck must’ve gone into meeting that boy named Pa Bo.

"Hmph, with his physique, even if he doesn't win in the end, as long as he joins the army and sticks it out for a few years, he’ll still live a decent life. It’s just that he’s a bit slow—on the battlefield, he’d only be a soldier, never an officer."

Recalling the man’s experiences, Kane felt a mix of frustration and pity. How could someone be exploited for so long without ever resisting? What a waste of that massive frame. If it were him, anyone who dared to slight him would have their house smashed to pieces.

For someone ruthless enough to kill his own father and brothers, familial bonds were like weeds by the road to Kane. If they existed, he could admire them with pleasure; if not, it didn’t matter. They wouldn’t hinder his path forward anyway.

Seeing Kane’s stubborn refusal to admit his admiration, Ning Chan chose to shove a bucket of popcorn into his hands, hoping to sweeten his mouth and curb those insincere remarks.

"People change. He’s been through a lot now. As long as he learns from it, his future will be smoother." That is, assuming he truly took the lesson to heart.

Though, judging from the investigation reports, the guy had learned to be selfish and hide his talents, his family remained a live wire. If they sweet-talked him back under their thumb again, his life might never change.

A person who doesn’t love themselves and can’t distinguish right from wrong is destined to be shackled by countless things, unable to go far.

"Besides, he has someone he likes, doesn’t he? For that person’s sake, he’ll have to make some changes." For a fleeting moment, Ning Chan thought of Kane and himself. The wounds they’d suffered wouldn’t vanish, and without each other, they’d still be stumbling in the dark, unsure when they’d ever find the peace and happiness they had now.

Hearing Ning Chan’s words, Kane put himself in that position. He reached out, interlacing their fingers tightly, then lifted Ning Chan’s hand to press a light kiss on its back. Maintaining the gesture, he glanced up slightly. "Mm, just like how I’d do anything for you."

That honeyed voice, paired with such a reverent gesture, made Ning Chan’s heartbeat quicken. He licked his lips. "Ahem, I don’t need you to... Just stay by my side, that’s enough."

Ning Chan felt he lacked nothing now. Whatever he wanted to do, his status allowed him to command it directly—no need for Kane’s help. But seeing Kane frown and lower his gaze like a dog fearing abandonment, he swiftly changed the subject.

Talk about a transformation, from a stone-cold boss who missed social cues to someone who could now decipher Kane’s sensitive thoughts with a single glance.

Though, whether he truly saw through it or Kane simply let him "see through" it—only Kane himself knew.

Just as Kane was confessing to Ning Chan, the competitors on the field began their movements.

Harvey first hunched into a half-crouch, then started spinning. When he reached the throwing zone, his hand swung the shot put forward. The shot put flew like a comet, soaring far before crashing heavily onto the grass. The moment the crowd saw its landing point surpass the previous marks and noted the approximate distance on the nearby scale, they erupted.

"Wow!"

"Good thing the field’s huge, or he’d have thrown it over the wall!"

"Hahaha, I’m more concerned about the poor saps across the way—were they scared of getting hit?"

Ning Chan, too, found Harvey’s technique eye-opening. Though he’d publicized the competition rules, he hadn’t interfered with how athletes trained for these events.

First, he lacked the time to systematically train coaches, let alone ensure how much of the theoretical knowledge they’d absorb. Second, wasn’t fairness his goal?

If he’d taught techniques in advance, wouldn’t that be unfair to those who had no chance to learn them?

So, after outlining the general framework for the sports meet, Ning Chan let them figure it out. How well they trained and what techniques they developed were entirely up to them.

Look—even without his guidance, someone had figured out how to maximize their body’s strength.

"That move was clever. He used spin momentum and the muscle groups engaged during the throw to give the ball far more momentum than his brute strength alone could achieve." Having learned much from Ning Chan, Kane displayed remarkable talent in physics, chemistry, and biology.

Ning Chan mused that if this man weren’t a king, he’d have made a damn good scientist.

Nodding in agreement, Ning Chan added, "He played this close to the chest. None of his training partners noticed, or else more than just him would be using this technique now."

"Mm. Seems like the shot put’s in the bag." Kane raised his binoculars to observe the expressions of the competitors waiting their turn and smirked. Those guys looked completely floored.

As Kane had said, by the time the competition ended, Harvey's first-place position never changed.

Ning Chan happily went to the bookie to collect his winnings. Hearing people complaining they’d underestimated Harvey—regretting not spotting this dark horse (underdog) earlier—he couldn’t help but feel amused.

In truth, if one carefully studied Harvey’s performance in every match, they would notice the difference from his usual training. His results had been getting better bit by bit, no matter how strong his opponents were. You couldn’t just write this off as luck.

Fortunately, Harvey’s peers hadn’t spent much time with him. After each victory, he’d move on, so his hidden skills wouldn’t have stayed concealed for long.

Just like now—hadn’t people already caught on? This first-place win was bound to rub people the wrong way.

If it had been someone who always performed brilliantly, winning first place wouldn’t have been a big deal. But for Harvey to take the crown, and with such weird moves?

Who would’ve thought this quiet guy had such a side to him?

Harvey wasn’t paying attention to what others thought. He held up his medal and eagerly ran toward Pa Bo.

"Pa Bo, Pa Bo, look! I won first place! We can stay in the royal city now! I’ll find work here—carrying bricks, loading crates, building houses, anything. I’ll earn money to take care of you!" Excited, Harvey took the medal from around his neck and shoved it into Pa Bo’s hands.

Watching Harvey’s joy, Pa Bo felt his eyes burned, his vision blurring without him realizing. It had been so hard—Harvey’s journey to this point had been so difficult.

Pa Bo had accompanied Harvey during some of his training sessions and knew just how relentlessly he pushed himself. At times, he worried Harvey’s arms might be ruined for good after these competitions.

And once Harvey had pushed his strength training to the limit, he kept searching for ways to improve. He pored over books, experimenting with every possibility—which was why he now shined like this.

"You fool, how could it just be you working? I have hands and feet too, and skills to earn money. We’ll work hard together and build a good life." Thinking of their future, Pa Bo felt the sky brighten a little more.

"Ha-ha, really? You’re willing to stick with me forever?" Remembering the proposal stories he’d heard recently, Harvey got down on one knee right in front of Pa Bo.

In his excitement, Harvey nearly went down on both knees, but at the last moment, he caught himself, saving himself the embarrassment.

Yet once he was kneeling, Harvey felt a pang of regret—not about proposing, but about not having a ring. Pa Bo deserved everything others got.

But since he was already down, Harvey could only hold up the bouquet in his hands, staring nervously at Pa Bo.

Seeing Harvey’s frozen, foolish grin and the large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he waited in silence, Pa Bo couldn’t resist giving Harvey’s forehead a light flick.

He had thought this guy had grown smarter, but now it was clear—he was still the same lovable dummy. Doing something like this in front of so many people without even discussing it first—wasn’t he afraid Pa Bo might refuse and make things awkward?

The onlookers, clueless about the tension, only saw the champion proposing and grew excited all over again. It felt like not egging them on would be a disservice to the moment.

"Say yes, say yes!"

"Marry him!"

"So romantic!"

Listening to the crowd’s encouragement, Harvey’s tanned face went white. He’d screwed up—he shouldn’t have gotten carried away and done this in front of so many people. What if Pa Bo thought he was pressuring him?

Harvey wanted to stand up immediately, but his legs went numb, and he lurched forward, crashing into Pa Bo. Before he could even apologize, his first thought was to explain that he hadn’t meant to—Pa Bo could still refuse if he wanted. Harvey would wait, keep pursuing him.

Hearing Harvey’s words, Pa Bo, who had caught him in his arms, let out a quiet laugh. "I know. Hurry up and get off me. You’re so big—you’re gonna flatten me. I can’t hold you up."

Harvey scrambled to his feet, his legs still weak. Seeing Pa Bo’s smile and expression, his chest loosened.

What—what did this mean? Had Pa Bo said yes?

Pa Bo, still wrapped in Harvey’s bear hug, patted his back, hinting he should let go. There were already enough onlookers as it was.

Some people, too far to hear their conversation, took in the scene and assumed it was a happy ending, cheering and offering blessings.

Amid all their well-wishes, Pa Bo felt warmth in his heart. Maybe agreeing wasn’t such a bad thing. After all this time together, he thought—having Harvey by his side in the days to come sounded just fine.

"Harvey, for our home, let’s hustle together from now on."